Mazda Motor Europe (MME) today announced that Colin Maddocks, currently Chief Financial Officer at MME, will take on the newly appointed role of Vice President and Chief Sales Finance Officer for Europe and North America with immediate effect. In his new role, Colin will have responsibility for leading the development and implementation of Mazda’s strategy… Continue reading Mazda Motor Europe announces new global and European appointments
Tag: Mazda
Tesla profits, GM doubles down on EVs, Mustang and 911 hybrids: The Week in Reverse
2017 Tesla Model 3, in photo tweeted by Elon Musk on July 9, 2017
Which company showed a new hybrid system this week?
What new retro-themed electric car does Volkswagen plan to build?
This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending Feb. 1, 2019.
The news this week centered around Tesla, as it often does. On Wednesday, the company announced its earnings for the fourth-quarter of 2018, showing a loss of more than $1 billion from a difficult year when it struggled to ramp up mass production of its most popular car, the Model 3. The second half of the year was in positive territory. It also announced that the Model Y will roll out at the end of 2020.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk (r.) and Shanghai Mayor Ying Yong in Shanghai July 10, 2018
Tesla has built up its cash reserves and no longer faces an immediate cash crunch, but it still scrambling to balance producing and selling enough cars against selling them for enough money to remain profitable. To that end, Tesla revealed new lineups for its original Model S sedan and Model X SUV that use the largest battery but limit its range. The company also cut its prices by another $1,000.
2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV
General Motors CEO Mary Barra announced that the company will double its investment in engineering electric and self-driving cars as it aims to focus on the future and avoid another bankruptcy like the one that caught up with GM in 2009.
New tests reveal that more lavishly equipped versions of the new Nissan Leaf Plus will have significantly shorter estimated range ratings than the basic version.
2019 Nissan Leaf
Now that the federal government has reopened, along with the EPA, a backlog of new models waiting for official fuel-economy and electric range estimates before they can be certified for sale is beginning to move forward. And with the EPA back in action, Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler was able to make new appointments to the agency's Science Advisory Board—including a well-known skeptic of climate action.
Volkswagen Geneva Show Electric Buggy concept
Volkswagen finally officially revealed that it plans to build a concept version of a long-rumored electric dune buggy to join the stable of its throwback ID Buzz electric microbus and a rumored electric recreation of the original Beetle.
Mazda revealed more about its plans to develop cleaner and more fuel efficient models that meet stricter upcoming standards, at an event previewing the 2019 Mazda 3. It's less of a plan than a scattershot collection of plans to keep this small automaker globally viable.
Porsche Taycan prototype
Porsche revealed that its upcoming electric Taycan will come with three years of free charging on Electrify America chargers, also owned by Porsche's corporate parent Volkswagen. A new report also revealed details of two hybrid systems to potentially be used in the next 911 sports car.
Oil giant Shell announced it is getting into the business of fast-charging electric cars in the U.S. with its purchase Greenlots and that company's chargers.
Chargeway Beacon – Forth electric vehicle showcase, Portland
A Portland, Oregon, startup company, Chargeway, has a new system to help newfound electric car drivers find public charging more easily. The company rolled out its first educational kiosks in a Portland trial project.
Electrify America had to shut down its fastest DC fast chargers last weekend—before any civilian electric-car drivers had a chance to use them—due to a safety concern. The chargers were back on within a day.
Ford hybrid V-8 engine patent
New patents registered by Ford show what could by the new hybrid system the company plans to put in the next Mustang and F-150 pickup.
And a report from the U.S. Energy Information Agency shows that wind power is on pace to overtake hydro as the top renewable energy source in the U.S. in 2019.
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China Joint Venture Engine Plant Name Changed toChangan Mazda Engine Co., Ltd.
2019/01/30 Company Information Mazda acquires Ford’s stake in Changan Ford Mazda Engine Co., Ltd. HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Motor Corporation has purchased in full Ford Motor Company’s stake in Changan Ford Mazda Engine Co., Ltd. (located in Nanjing, China), a joint venture between the two companies and Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. In line with the change… Continue reading China Joint Venture Engine Plant Name Changed toChangan Mazda Engine Co., Ltd.
Mazda rotary range-extended EV and diesel engine both coming, but no US hybrids for now
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2019 Mazda 3 underhood
A look under the hood of Mazda’s future includes a patchwork of “what if” possibilities and a series of juggled timelines.
Mazda is in a tough spot right now with regulators and in finding its place across many global markets. Part of the issue is that Mazda is considered an Intermediate-size manufacturer and subject to California’s ZEV mandate, requiring a certain percentage of its sales volume to be electric cars, plug-in hybrids, or hydrogen vehicles.
Unlike some other small or intermediate carmakers, it doesn’t have any overarching major-automaker partnerships (except for a development venture for EVs with Toyota), and its sales aren’t heavily biased toward a single market.
DON’T MISS: 2020 Mazda electric car to share Toyota underpinnings, technology
Of a global sales total of about 1.6 million vehicles last year, Mazda sold just over 300,000 vehicles in the U.S.; compare that to Subaru, which is in a similar predicament but made just over a million vehicles last year, selling 680,000 of them in the U.S.
Mazda is under pressure to produce some plug-in vehicle, if only for California ZEV states by the end of the year. So it's moving along with work on its electric vehicle, supported by a Wankel rotary-engine range-extender, confirmed Mazda’s vice president of R&D and design, Masashi Otsuka, last week, at a backgrounder and early drive for the 2019 Mazda 3, which arrives at dealerships in March.
Mazda Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030
Some of the development work for the plug-in is being done in the U.S., Otsuka confirmed, and the automaker will have more news about this model later in the calendar year.
Zooming toward CO2 reductions
It all fits into Mazda’s “Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030” plan, a long-term vision announced in 2017 for how the carmaker will continue to provide enjoyable vehicles while also reducing its corporate average carbon dioxide emissions—as considered on a “well-to-wheel” basis, including life-cycle emissions—by 50 percent from 2010 levels by 2030.
To achieve this, Mazda is one of the few carmakers that has no intent to freeze the evolution of the gasoline engine; it includes the continued improvement of the internal combustion engine in its big-picture efficiency initiative.
CHECK OUT: 2019 Mazda 3 sedan and hatch aim for an X factor—and that’s not electric
The plan also included the announcement that beginning in 2019 it would “start introducing electric vehicles and other electric drive technologies in regions that use a high ratio of clean energy for power generation or restrict certain vehicles to reduce air pollution.”
Mazda future powertrains
Even within the U.S., Mazda, like other automakers, faces some differing priorities. Mazda’s sales aren’t as geographically skewed toward the coasts as some other automakers either, which makes building market share challenging.
To help with that, starting this year Mazda is making all-wheel drive widely available in its Mazda 3 lineup. And it’s perfectly clear that it hasn’t given up on diesel for the U.S. market. The automaker’s timeline for its long-delayed Skyactiv-D diesel-engine rollout, according to company officials, will be clarified with a product-related announcement at the New York auto show in April.
As another official hinted, the strategy we may instead see for diesel is a limited rollout for something like a half-dozen states—a way to provide a high-efficiency counterpoint to plug-ins, wherever it might go over well.
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Porsche Taycan, Electrify America shutdown, Mazda plans: Today’s Car News
Porsche Taycan prototype
Porsche plans to include three years of free DC fast charging from Electrify America with its new Taycan electric car. For now, it's a good thing the car isn't arriving too soon, as Electrify America has had to shut down many of its CCS Combo fast charge plugs over safety concerns. Mazda balances conflicting priorities (and regulators) in its strategy for fuel-efficient and electric cars. And a new study reveals which countries are leading the race for electric cars. All this and more on Green Car Reports.
In an effort to compete with Tesla—but without building its own complete fast-charge network—Porsche is planning to offer three years of free fast charging at Electrify America DC fast chargers for those who buy its upcoming Taycan electric car. The Taycan is expected to be the first car that can use 350-kilowatt fast chargers when it goes on sale late this year.
Electrify America had to shut down those chargers this week, however, after safety concerns arose over similar chargers in Switzerland.
At a recent preview drive, Mazda revealed more on its plans to bring diesels and an electric car to the U.S., but doesn't plan any hybrids for now.
A new study reveals that the U.S. places second after China in adoption of electric cars. Some other findings, however, are more surprising.
Mercedes-Benz revealed plans to show a new concept car later this year that will demonstrate how cars can avoid crashing altogether using artificial intelligence.
Finally, Ford plans to offer owners a new loyalty rewards program similar to those from airlines and grocery stores, to encourage customers to bring their cars back to the dealership for service.
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Toyota and Panasonic to jointly make electric-car batteries, explore solid-state tech
Panasonic Li-Ion EV battery
Toyota has been a laggard in the race to transition to electric cars. The company was an early leader in fuel-efficient hybrids, but has since focused on developing fuel-cell vehicles, and executives have expressed skepticism about electric cars and lithium-ion batteries.
Now in an effort to accelerate its move to electric cars, the company may be pairing up with the largest manufacturer of lithium-ion battery cells in the world for electric cars, Panasonic. Panasonic also supplies batteries for Tesla, built at the giant Nevada Gigafactory that the two jointly own.
CHECK OUT: Lithium-ion vs. nickel-metal hydride: Toyota still likes both for its hybrids
The Nikkei Asian Review reported Sunday that the two companies plan to set up a joint battery manufacturing plant in 2020 to produce batteries for more than 5.5 million electric cars. Reuters followed with another report of the venture, citing a source of its own.
Under the venture as it's been reported so far, Toyota will own 51 percent of the factory, and Panasonic will own the rest. Batteries produced at the factory will supply not only Toyota but also companies that have signed on as partners with Toyota to develop electric cars. These include Mazda and Subaru.
Akio Toyoda, President, Toyota and Kazuhiro Tsuga, President, Panasonic
Honda also sources electric-car batteries from Panasonic, and Nikkei reports that the companies hope that they can also sell the new batteries to Honda.
READ THIS: Panasonic says solid-state batteries are still 10 years off
Toyota and Panasonic will also reportedly work together to develop next-generation solid-state lithium-ion batteries, which are expected to provide increased range with less weight and cost for electric cars. They could also be less flammable to improve safety.
Toyota has been working to find other chemistries that would be useful for electric cars. It announced in 2017 that it plans to put solid-state battery tech into a production vehicle in the early part of the next decade.
DON'T MISS: VW is planning to build 15 million electric vehicles
The two companies signed an agreement in 2017 to explore the tie-up that Nikkei reported this week.
Toyota has set a goal to sell 5.5 million electric cars by 2030. That still lags behind Volkswagen, the world's second-largest automaker after Toyota. Volkswagen has announced plans to build 10 million vehicles a year by 2027.
Toyota Will Team Up With Panasonic On High Capacity EV Batteries
2 H BY WADE MALONE The corporations will set up a joint venture for electric vehicle battery manufacturing. Japanese corporate giants Toyota Motor and Panasonic are joining forces to face the growing demand for plug-in vehicles. According to Nikkei, their plan is to launch a joint venture for battery manufacturing as soon as 2020. Both… Continue reading Toyota Will Team Up With Panasonic On High Capacity EV Batteries
Toyota, Panasonic setting up EV battery JV amid rising China competition: source
TOKYO (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) and Panasonic Corp (6752.T) are set to launch a joint venture next year to produce batteries for electric vehicles (EV) in an effort to compete with Chinese rivals, a source familiar with the matter said. Toyota Motor Corp President Akio Toyoda (L) and Panasonic Corp President Kazuhiro Tsuga… Continue reading Toyota, Panasonic setting up EV battery JV amid rising China competition: source
Mazda Develops World’s First Cold-Stamped Parts Using1,310 MPa-Class High-Strength Steel
2019/01/10 Products and Technology To be applied across the lineup starting from the all-new Mazda3 HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Motor Corporation, working separately with Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation and JFE Steel Corporation, has developed the world’s first cold-stamped vehicle body parts made from 1,310 MPa-class high-strength steel.1 The parts are used in Mazda’s new-generation Skyactiv-Vehicle… Continue reading Mazda Develops World’s First Cold-Stamped Parts Using1,310 MPa-Class High-Strength Steel
Leading the way: Tesla trounces luxury competitors in year-end sales tally
2017 Tesla Model 3
Now that Tesla has released its final sales numbers for the end of last year, we finally have a yardstick to measure the company’s sales success.
In the third quarter, Tesla made a point of noting that, with the Model 3 approaching full production, it became the fifth bestselling—non-SUV—car model in America.
On New Year’s Day, the company reported it delivered 63,150 Model 3s from October to December. That’s up 13 percent from 55,840 from July through September.
READ THIS: Tesla cuts prices $2,000, almost hit 250,000 vehicles in 2018
Taking Tesla's sales numbers at face value for the moment, the company says it sold more Model 3s in the third quarter than some entire brands, including some of its chief competitors, including Acura, Audi, Cadillac, and Infiniti.
Other rivals were also feeling the heat from Model 3 sales. In total Lexus sold 71,107 vehicles and BMW sold 85,949, according to sales numbers from Automotive News (subscription required.)
2018 Tesla Model S and 2018 Tesla Model X
Model 3 sales for Q4 weren’t that far behind entire affordable brands such as Mazda (65,203) and Volkswagen (87,836).
And that’s just one model from Tesla, versus other brands’ entire lineups.
It’s not a direct comparison, because Tesla’s numbers include Canadian sales, while those from other brands are only in the U.S. Still, in the third quarter, Tesla sold about 1,500 Model 3s in Canada, as it focused sales there to delay the expiration of its federal tax credit in the U.S. So the numbers aren’t far off.
Whole lineups
Counting the Model S and Model X (which are exported in greater proportion), the company sold 75,100 cars in the U.S. in Q4, according to Automotive News numbers, more than Lexus (71,107), Audi (55,903), Buick (51,627), Acura (44,451), Infiniti (44,031), Cadillac (41,462), Lincoln (28,307), or Volvo (24,224).
Only BMW and Mercedes sold more, at 95,710 and 101,047, respectively. Using Tesla’s own number of 90,700 sales for the quarter wouldn’t change that order, even though Tesla’s number includes sales of all three of its cars in Canada, and the Model S and Model X around the world.
Head-to-head
When it comes to direct competitors to the Model 3—upscale sedans costing $45,000 to $80,000—the Model 3 trounces all competitors, with the next closest models, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the Lexus ES coming in with about 18,000 and 14,000 sales respectively for the quarter. BMW sold 9,847 3-Series sedans, though it has sliced much of that market into niche products such as the 4-series.
DON'T MISS: Tesla Model 3 is fifth bestselling car in U.S., production still short of profitability goal
For the quarter, the Model 3 outsold such mainstays of American roads as the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler, the Subaru Forester and Outback, and the Honda Pilot. It almost conquered the Toyota Highlander, which had 63,812 sales, and wasn't far behind the Toyota Corolla (68,564) and the Honda Civic (70,724) for the quarter. With its slow production ramp-up early in the year, however, it couldn't approach those top-selling cars for the full year.
Annual sales
Tesla’s slow ramp-up to full Model 3 production was one of the major stories of the year, and the car didn’t start posting big sales numbers until Q3, so many of its sales look less impressive on an annual basis.
For the full year, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lexus, and Audi—even Mazda and VW—sold more cars than Tesla. Many of those brands, though, sell full lineups of cars and SUVs in multiple sizes and formats (front-wheel drive/rear-wheel drive; sporty, luxurious, car- or truck-based, for example.) Tesla sells three models: two luxury cars and a crossover SUV.
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